When considering the application of diagnostic instruments to carry out accessibility assessments, inspections, consultations and audits, the Ability Advisor must have significant knowledge about the local legislation about the subject and must develop his/her own methodology for the application of the diagnostic tools.

 

Local legislation

 

Bellow You can find an example of national acts related to the tourism accessibility legislation. We recommend You to use it as example to define the national legislation base.

Portuguese Law 46/2006 prohibits and punishes discrimination on grounds of disability and the existence of aggravated health risk.

The purpose of this law is to prevent and prohibit direct or indirect discrimination on the grounds of disability in all its forms and to penalize the practice of acts that result in the violation of any fundamental rights or in refusal or conditioning the exercise of any economic, social, cultural or other rights by any person, due to any disability.

Portuguese Law 163/2006 approves the system of accessibility to buildings and establishments that receive public, public roads and residential buildings.

The promotion of accessibility is a fundamental element in people’s quality of life and is an indispensable means for the exercise of the rights conferred on any member of a democratic society, contributing decisively to a greater strengthening of social ties, to greater civic participation of all those who are part of it and, consequently, of a growing deepening of solidarity in a social State.

The State has the responsibility of putting in place actions with the purpose of guaranteeing and assuring the rights of people with special needs (people facing environmental barriers, impeding an active and full civic participation, resulting from permanent or temporary factors, intellectual, emotional, sensory, physical or communicational deficiencies).

People with special needs include people with disabilities (people in wheelchairs, those who are unable to walk or are unable to travel long distances), people with sensory difficulties, such as blind or deaf people, and those who, by virtue of their life course, are temporary conditioned, such as pregnant women, children and the elderly.

According to the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, the State is responsible to promote the well-being and quality of life of the population and the real, legal and formal equality among all Portuguese, as well as:

• the implementation of a national policy for the prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and integration of people with disabilities and support for their families;
• the development of a pedagogy which will make society more aware of duties of respect and solidarity with them;
• the assumption of the responsibility for the effective realization of their rights, without prejudice to the rights and duties of parents and guardians;
• the promotion of a society for all through the removal of barriers and the adoption of measures aimed at the full participation of persons with disabilities.

Accessibility was already regulated by Portuguese Law 123/1997, which introduced technical standards, aimed at eliminating urban and architectural barriers in public buildings, public facilities and public roads.

The Portuguese Law 163/2006 aims, in a solution of continuity with the previous law, to correct the imperfections in it, improving the control mechanisms, giving it greater punitive effectiveness, increasing the levels of communication and accountability of the various agents involved in these procedures, as well as to introduce new solutions, in line with the technical, social and legislative developments in the meantime verified.

Among the main innovations introduced by this law is the extension of the scope of technical standards for access to residential buildings, thus ensuring mobility without constraints, both in public spaces (as was already evident from the previous diploma and the present one), and in private spaces (access to dwellings and their interiors).

Portuguese Quality Standard NP 4523-2014 about Accessible and Inclusive Tourism in hotels, apartment hotels and inns defines the standards that an accommodation establishment must achieve to provide the same quality of service to customers with or without special needs.

The accommodation establishments to which this Quality Standard is addressed are already covered by legislation about accessibility for all and prohibiting discrimination of people based on their disabilities but, in order to promote the same level of quality to all customers, two factors play a key role:

• the way the tourism services are provided (inclusive service);
• the material conditions for the provision of the service (accessibility of the physical environment).

With this Standard, the aim is to make available to the tourism sector an instrument to facilitate the meeting between “supply” and “demand” to provide all potential customers with a reliable indication that conditions are that clear and objective information is available at the level of infrastructure and service.

Portuguese Law 83/2018 defines accessibility requirements for websites and mobile applications of public bodies by transposing EU Directive 2016/2102.

The Portuguese Government has as priorities the improvement of the relationship between citizens and the Public Administration and the construction of a more equal society, as an ethical, legal and constitutional imperative, namely through the enhancement of social responsibility and corporate ethics, promoting the diversity and non-discrimination as factors of competitiveness, innovation and development.

Whereas developments in a digital society provide users with new ways of accessing information and services, measures should be taken to make websites and mobile applications more accessible to all, including those with serious functional, sensory, cognitive or physical characteristics, for which digital information presents itself as a privileged possibility of access.

More recently, the Portuguese Republic made the commitment to take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have access, on a basis of equality with other citizens, to information and communication technologies and systems, to develop, promulgate and monitor the application of standards and guidelines access to facilities and services open to the public or for public use, and to promote the access of people with disabilities to new information and communication technologies and systems, including the Internet.

The above mentioned EU Directive is intended to approximate the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States of the European Union relating to the accessibility requirements of websites and applications of public sector bodies by ensuring that such websites and mobile applications become more accessible to users, in particular for people with disabilities, and by removing barriers to the practice of website design and development in the domestic market.

 

Main sources:

https://data.dre.pt/eli/lei/46/2006/08/28/p/dre/pt/html

https://data.dre.pt/eli/dec-lei/163/2006/08/08/p/dre/pt/html

http://www.inr.pt/content/1/119/legislacao

http://www.inr.pt/uploads/docs/acessibilidade/GuiaAcessEmobi.pdf

Norma Portuguesa NP 4523-2014 relativa a Turismo Acessível em Estabelecimentos Hoteleiros (IPQ)

 

Diagnostic methodology

 

The Ability Advisor should review the facilities and services of the tourism offer (e.g. HORECA, Culture/Museum, Transport, Tour Agency, Tourism Activity, etc) and check them against the minimum accessibility and inclusive service requirements and desired quality levels.

The suggested diagnostic methodology steps are:

1 – Observation Charts

Observation Charts are the instruments that will support the analysis, registration and evaluation of the accessibility and inclusive service requirements necessary for the provision of tourist services to people with specific access requirements.

These documents should contribute to provide relevant information on the adjustment between the needs of the “demand” (customers with special needs) and the conditions of the “supply” (accessible and inclusive tourism services) in two dimensions:

• Macro dimension, standardized, making a comparison between the conditions of accessibility and service of one specific tourism entity with the corresponding predefined standards (organized by type of tourist services and by type of tourism needs);
• Micro dimension, individualized, indicating the conditions of accessibility and inclusive service of the particular tourism entity, in a detailed way, including conditions not yet conforming to the standards, to provide each client with the possibility of comparing their individual needs to the specific conditions of accessibility and service of the tourism entity.

Remember that it is up to each client to decide whether or not to use those services under those conditions and that their needs depends on:

• The disability or limitation of each individual;
• The type of aide they use (e.g. cane, walker, wheelchair);
• The personality of the individual.

The Ability Advisor should prepare Observation Charts that make it possible to refer the accessibility and inclusive service conditions of the company or organization to different typologies of specific access requirements (related to motor, visual, hearing or intellectual limitations), with a view to enabling the company or organization to position itself in the accessible and inclusive tourism market in a logic of gradually extending its offer to different sub-segments of demand.

The Ability Advisor should develop an Observation Chart for each sector or area of tourist activity, with two types of complementary documents:

• The reference standard of accessibility and service requirements, which provides a detailed description of the reference requirements (including information on legislation, quality standards, good practices and the use of drawings and photos to facilitate their understanding).
• The checklists that are elaborated by reference to the corresponding requirements standards.

In each tourism service sector / area, the requirements are identified and organized following the sequence of the work process inherent in the provision of services to the common customer, so that the specific accessibility and service requirements of customers with special needs can be systematically perceived as complementary to the basic material, technical and human-transversal requirements of providing services to any client.

 

2 – On site analysis

Before visiting the tourism entity to conduct the diagnostic, the Ability Advisor should make a plan of the diagnosis on site analysis covering the objectives, the planned tasks and the resources needed.

The Ability Advisor should try to involve the business owner/manager (or at least some staff member) in the diagnosis process as this will both improve the quality of the diagnosis and the quality of the final report (in terms of clarity and acceptance).

In the case of the audit of a small company/entity, establishing the overall diagnosis plan should not be a complex or time consuming exercise, as it should be proportionate to the size and complexity of the entity.

Once you’ve completed the planning process, it’s time to execute your plan. Essential elements of a strong roll-out include:

• Efficient scheduling – optimize the use of available resources (namely time);
• Attention to detail – the ability to achieve thoroughness and accuracy when accomplishing every task (every observation) is a crucial skill;
• Communication – it’s critical to communicate the benefits and expectations around the diagnosis. Emphasize that the goal is to work together to identify problems and create solutions (not to assign responsibilities);
• Corrective action – you should be able to quickly identify the main issues/problems and assign corrective actions on the spot (quick fixes or medium/long term solutions).

Remember that adequate planning helps to identify and resolve problems on a timely basis so that the diagnosis can be performed in an effective and efficient manner.

 

3 – Report

A good diagnosis is only complete with the development and presentation of a good final report.

The level of detail of the report depends on the circumstances of the diagnosis but it should always include:

• Executive Summary;
• Introduction (that provides the context for the report and outlines the structure of the contents);
• Body (it’s where you include the contents in a structured way);
• Conclusion (where the various elements of the report connect in a clear and concise manner).

Remember that the report must highlight the level of adjustment between the needs of the “demand” (customers with specific access requirements) and the conditions of the “supply” (accessible and inclusive tourism services).

In each tourism entity, it’s crucial to show what are the current conditions of accessibility and inclusive service that already achieve the corresponding predefined standards (for each target) and which conditions need to be improved in order to successfully provide tourism services to people with specific access requirements.

It’s strongly recommended to use photos, images and diagrams to illustrate with some degree of detail the existing conditions and the improvements needed.

The report should be the key document to support the development of Action Plans targeted at the improvement of accessibility and inclusive service conditions of a specific tourism business.

 

Main sources:

BRENDAIT Manual (“Building a Regional Network for the Development of Accessible and Inclusive Tourism” manual)

https://www.visitenglandassessmentservices.com/about/advisory-visits/

https://www.brightwork.com/blog/7-steps-effective-report-writing

 

Examples of diagnostic tools

 

1 – Pantou

Pantou is a register for suppliers of accessible tourism services around the world, catering for tourists with disabilities or specific access requirements.

 

The Pantou Directory:

• makes it easier for tourists with any kind of special needs to find what they are looking for when planning a visit;
• promotes accessible tourism suppliers, showing places to go and things to do – in safety and with convenience and comfort;
• enables suppliers and destinations to find new partners and build networks of accessible services, for the benefit of visitors, local businesses and communities. 

To be listed with Pantou, tourism suppliers must indicate the type of service(s) offered and the particular target groups they can serve.

When registering, suppliers should indicate their membership of a national, regional or local “Accessibility Information Scheme” (AIS) that verifies the accessibility of the services offered.

You can find the Table of Accessibility Information Schemes referenced in the Pantou Directory here: https://pantou.org/accessibility-info.

If the supplier is not a member of an AIS that has been verified by Pantou, then the supplier is requested to provide accurate and reliable information by filling in and submitting a self-declaration form called Pantou Access Statement.

An Access Statement is a document written by a service provider (or an appointed agent) describing the accessibility characteristics of a tourism service and/or facility, as objectively and factually as possible.

Pantou has created a Template so that suppliers can create their own Pantou Access Statement.

The Template contains three main sections and all the necessary questions to create a full Access Statement. Use the multiple choice questions to describe the accessibility of your services and venue. Add short descriptions as necessary.

You will need to take some measurements if you need to answer questions about your buildings and facilities. Pantou provides a Photo and Measurement Guide to see how to take suitable photos and make accurate measurements of door-widths, guest toilets, ramps, etc.

You can find both the template and the guide here

 

2 – The National Accessible Scheme (NAS)

The National Accessible Scheme (NAS) is an English scheme which helps persons with disabilities to find accommodation that suit their needs, independently assessed by trained assessors against demanding criteria.

Assessed properties will have facilities such as handrails, ramps, level-access showers, hearing loops and colour contrast.

The scheme’s standards provide guidelines on how to make reasonable adjustments to services to meet the needs of disabled people. They are split into three category standards, for:

• Mobility impaired and older people;
• Visually impaired and blind people;
• Hearing impaired and deaf people.

You can find the NAS Standards Booklet here.

 

3 – BRENDAIT (Building a Regional Network for the Development of Accessible and Inclusive Tourism) Project Self Diagnosis Tools

 

BRENDAIT (Building a Regional Network for the Development of Accessible and Inclusive Tourism) was a capacity building project aimed at designing and testing the practical implementation of a strategy to develop, at a regional level, a tourism destination accessible for all.

The main goal of the project was to create  a capacity building scheme to overcome the general “inertia” that providers of tourism services show regarding accessible and inclusive tourism, tackling the key barriers identified in the 2014 EU Commission study – Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry “Mapping skills and training needs to improve accessibility in tourism services”.

BRENDAIT project designed and tested an intervention model that encouraged the development of business practices and strategic planning to overcome the 3 major hurdles identified concerning tourism players (“inertia”; lack of knowledge and management skills; lack of holistic approach in the qualification and promotion of tourism destinations) in order to successfully captivate this new segment of the tourism demand and that now can be replicated or used as a reference in other regions facing similar obstacles.

The regional network included key operators/stakeholders in the tourism supply chain (with a special focus on tourism managers and entrepreneurs of SMEs and micro-SMEs) and centered its efforts on the development of an intervention model along 3 main axis:

• active networking and cooperation;
• lifelong learning and training;
• innovation and quality.

During the Project a significant number of tourism entities conducted a self-diagnosis concerning their accessibility and inclusive service conditions for the provision of tourist services to clients with special needs.

You can find here the tools /grids (D.10) used here.

 

4 – TUR4all

 

TUR4all, “Accessible Tourism for All”, is a collaborative platform (Mobile App and Web Page) where everyone is able to provide feedback about tourism establishments, resources and services based on accessibility for all.

TUR4all is a dynamic platform that provides information on accessible tourism resources in Spain and Portugal and it is expected that other countries will soon come on board. The aim is to provide accurate and up-to-date information on the accessibility of hotels, restaurants, museums and monument, adapted transport, among others.

Up until 2016, all tourism resources published in TUR4all were reviewed by accessibility experts. As of 2017, users have been able to add new resources themselves by completing an accessibility evaluation survey. TUR4all has essentially become a collaborative platform where both users and experts can evaluate, allocate a score and add comments about the accessibility of tourism establishments.

Furthermore, it acts as a promotional channel for accessible tourism establishments and destinations. Through strategic alliances, such as the one signed with Accessible Portugal in 2017, TUR4all aims to become an international platform, to act as a local partner network across multiple countries to improve accessible tourism in each respective country and around the world. It also wants to provide people with accessibility needs a greater degree of confidence when planning their trips.

TUR4all has a Users Accessibility Survey to ensure that the information provided by TUR4all users is objective. This simplified survey was created to collect basic information about the accessibility of tourism resources. It was adapted into an easy-to-read format and translated into 11 languages to make it easier for more people to use.

You can find relevant documents here.

 

Main sources:

https://pantou.org/about-pantou

https://www.visitenglandassessmentservices.com/our-schemes/national-accessiblescheme/

http://www.perfil.com.pt/Brendait/documentos.htm

https://www.tur4all.pt/